Gas spray arm for spin coating apparatus
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorKeng-Ching Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-nozzle gas spray arm for a spin coating apparatus. In a typical embodiment, the invention comprises a primary spray arm and a secondary spray arm which is confluently connected to the primary spray arm. The primary spray arm ejects a narrow, relatively high-velocity nitrogen stream against a substrate while the secondary spray arm ejects a diffuse, relatively low-velocity nitrogen stream against the substrate as the gas spray arm is typically swept across the surface of the wafer. The diffuse nitrogen flow characteristic of the nitrogen ejected from the secondary spray arm is effective in eliminating water and chemical droplets which otherwise would tend to remain and form dry spots on the wafer surface.
Claims20
A gas spray arm for a chemical dispensing system, comprising:
- at least two spray arms provided in generally adjacent relationship to each other for receiving a gas;
- and
- at least two nozzle openings provided in said at least two spray arms, respectively, for ejecting at least two streams, respectively, of the gas.
A gas spray arm for a chemical dispensing system, comprising:
- at least two spray arms provided in generally adjacent relationship to each other for receiving a gas;
- at least two spray nozzles provided on said at least two spray arms, respectively;
- and
- at least two nozzle openings provided in said at least two spray nozzles, respectively, for ejecting at least two streams, respectively, of the gas.
A spin coating apparatus, comprising:
- a coater cup having a top opening;
- a substrate support provided in said coater cup for receiving a substrate;
- at least two spray arms provided in generally adjacent relationship to each other for receiving a gas and positioning over said top opening;
- and
- at least two nozzle openings provided in said at least two spray arms, respectively, for ejecting at least two streams, respectively, of the gas through said top opening onto the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.